4.3 mineral resources

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Vocabulary

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gemstone-hard colorful mineral that has a glassy luster.
ore-A rock with metal
smelting-melting ore to separate metal from rock
alloy-A solid mixture of two or more metals.

Outline

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The Uses of Minerals

• Gemstones
  • Rubies, sapphires
  • gem
• Metals
  • aluminum
  • iron
  • copper
  • silver
• Other Useful Minerals
  • talc-talcum powder

Ores

• metal and other elements

Prospecting

• prospectors
  • searches for ore deposit

Mining

• strip mines
  • moves soil out of way to show ore
• open pit mines
  • earthmoving equipment to dig a big pit
  • ore deposits that start near surface
  • can be one kilometer wide and deep
• shaft mines
  • underground tunnels
  • veins

Smelting

• melts ore
  • separates melted metal from other elements
• molten metal goes to bottom
• slag
• impurities+limestone=slag

Diagram

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